Regular Grocery Store Alternatives

[T. Willick]

Hi, I was just recently diagnosed with celiac disease and am in the process of changing over to a gluten-free diet. However there are a few things that I’m trying to substitute with a regular grocery store product rather than spend a lot more at a health food store. The items are bread for sandwiches, vegetable and meat stew ( Puritan brand is the only one that I know of and it has wheat flour in it), cold cereals ( the major stores in my area don’t seem to have the puffed rice cereals and cookies until I learn how to bake some with corn flour

[chrissy]

is willick your last name? my maiden name was willich----kind of an unusual name, so i was surprised to see your varition on the board. we have made some fairly good bread from bette hagman's featherlight mix. the only gluten free cereals we can get at the grocery store are post fruity pebbles and post cocoa pebbles and puffed rice----i hate sending my kids to school after a breakfast of fruity pebbles! there is a canned stew that is gluten free, but i can't remember the brand. i'm sure someone will post it.

christine

[TCA]

I learned this recipe as a kid and it has come in handy lately.

PB cookies

1 c. Peanut Butter

1 egg

1 c. sugar ( I substitute 1/4 c. sugar and 3/4 c. splenda since my husband is diabetic and it works great)

mix, roll into balls and press out on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 mins at 375. I make 4 batches at once and am set for about 10 days. They're delicious and EASY and portable.

[elonwy]

Unfortunately those items are things that are really hard to find at a regular grocery store.

I find I just don't eat that much bread these days. I use lettuce when I'm doing hamburgers, and use corn tortillas for hot dogs, and such. I keep a loaf of Kinnikinnik bread in the freezer and take out slices as I need them. Other than the Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles, which I cannot bring myself to eat, I have not found a cold cereal at a regular grocery store that I can eat. Beware, many puffed rice cereals have malt in them, which is a no-no.

I have seen alot of things in grocery stores that say Wheat Free on them, do be careful as these are often not Gluten Free.

Dinty Moore Beef Stew is gluten-free for other Hormel stuff go to:

Open Original Shared Link

I just bought a box of Healthy Valley Corn Crunch Ems' ( at a health food store ) and they are just like rice chex.

The two things I find hardest to find is cereal and crackers.

When I first went gluten-free I binged on all the gluten-free stuff I could find, spent alot of money. Now I go to the reg grocery store, eat alot of fresh veggies, fruit and meat. I have the South Beach cookbooks, and make alot of the Phase 1 recipes and then make rice or quinoa as a side.

I go to the health food store about once a month, and get those few items I can't get anywhere else.

Other people have freezers, and stock up on Kinnikinnick products via mail order ( I have yet to eat anything of thier I didn't love) and save money that way.

Oh - I forgot - Pamela's cookies are awesome and can be found in a lot of places.

Welcome.

Elonwy

[Guest nini]

Quaker Instant Grits

Dinty Moore Beef Stew

Mission Corn Tortillas

there really is a lot of mainstream stuff that can be bought at a regular grocery store... do you have the Delphi forums list?

[WGibs]

Another cereal option, though it isn't cold, is cream of rice. I've really gotten hooked on that for my breakfast lately. I've been stirring in raisins or banana and some cinnamon and sugar. When berries or peaches are in season, they would be a great add-on too.

I also buy corn tortillas and rice cakes for bread-like substitutes.

Also, check the small "health food" section of the regular grocery store. Each one in my neighborhood has a few different items we can have -- at one it's Pamela's cookies and Envirokidz animal cookies; at another it's Casabe crackers.

Elonwy is right, though, that one of the things that makes the diet easier is just trying to eat with it instead of against it -- focus on all the things that are gluten-free naturally, rather than trying to duplicate your previous diet with gluten-free versions. I know I've actually added some variety to my diet this way.

Good luck!

[Susan123]

Quaker Instant Grits

Dinty Moore Beef Stew

Mission Corn Tortillas

there really is a lot of mainstream stuff that can be bought at a regular grocery store... do you have the Delphi forums list?

Be careful with the Quaker Instant Grits not all varieties are gluten free.

[Guest nini]

Be careful with the Quaker Instant Grits not all varieties are gluten free.

What varieties do you mean? I'm only aware of the plain ol instant grits..

[StrongerToday]

I'm not sure where you live - but you should see if you do have a Wild Oats, Trader Joes, Whole Foods or Hillers, or "natural food store" near you. Trader Joes is much cheaper on cereal, nut butters, milk alternatives, etc. I've also found some things (but not bread) at my local Kroger and Meijer stores.

You may also want to try some on-line ordering. Celiac Specialties (in Michigan) and Knickknick - think I spelled that wrong, sorry! - have some great things. Yes, there's the shipping fee - but if you order in bulk and freeze you'll find that the quality of their items pays off.

[T. Willick]

Hi, thanks for the ideas. I forgot to mention that I live in Canada near Niagara Falls. Would Zehers Sobeys or any of the other stores in Southern Ontario carry that particular brand of beef stew? Does Mission make soft tacos that won't fall apart as a sandwich? I tried putting a slice of meat between two rice cakes and the cakes started breaking up after my first bite. I ended up haveing to move the meat slice to the Knickknick corn bread.

Thanks, Tim

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Kinnikinnick does fine as long as you toast it -- (remember to have your own toaster -- no other bread in it!!)

If it is toasted, Kinnikinick actually tastes similar to regular toast!!

[elonwy]

Oh, I didn't realize you were in Canada. Foods can have different gluten-free status in different countries, the info I was giving you was for the US. If you go to the canandian website of many companies, kraft, hormel, etc they will tell you what products they have that are gluten-free.

I don't eat rice cakes. The white corn mission tortillas do well in a roll-up situation, I usually put a couple on a plate with a slice of cheese ( regular- not sandwich cheese) nuke for 1 minute to ge tthe cheese all goeey and the tortilla soft, then stuff in whatever I'm in the mood for.

Amazingly enough, this also works with peanut butter. I'm not a jelly person, but I put peanut butter on a tortilla, nuke it for ~45secs, then add in nuts or choccy chips or whatever, or just roll it up and eat it. This is all stuff I loved pre gluten-free too, which makes me happy.

I never really liked sandwiches. They made my tummy hurt. ...huh.

There are many canadians here, they may also have more specific advice about where to get stuff.

Try the Kinnikinnik white tapioca bread, lightly toasted. Makes THE BEST grilled cheese ever.

Elonwy

[par18]

Quaker Instant Grits

Dinty Moore Beef Stew

Mission Corn Tortillas

there really is a lot of mainstream stuff that can be bought at a regular grocery store... do you have the Delphi forums list?

I use Quaker "quick" grits. Cooks in 5 minutes. "My Cousin Vinny" may refer to them as "magic" grits. Anyway they seem to be ok as I have had them numerous times on the diet. My question to nini is how do you prepare the corn tortillas? Do you use them as "wraps"?

Tom

[Guest nini]

I use Quaker "quick" grits. Cooks in 5 minutes. "My Cousin Vinny" may refer to them as "magic" grits. Anyway they seem to be ok as I have had them numerous times on the diet. My question to nini is how do you prepare the corn tortillas? Do you use them as "wraps"?

Tom

I use them in so many ways... warm in microwave in between two damp paper towels, wrap around lunchmeats, cooked hot dogs with cheese, scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese, refried beans and cheese, even peanut butter and jelly, OR put a pat of butter in a pan and fry on both sides, melt cheese in the middle and have a quesadilla, serve with salsa and sour cream! I know I've used them in more ways, but I'm tired and can't remember them all right now.

[Claire]

Kinnikinnick does fine as long as you toast it -- (remember to have your own toaster -- no other bread in it!!)

If it is toasted, Kinnikinick actually tastes similar to regular toast!!

I toast it frozen. Works real well - no breakage. I have to use the yeast free variety but it makes amazing toast. First yeast free bread I have ever found that was worth the time to unwrap it. Claire

[TCA]

I use them in so many ways... warm in microwave in between two damp paper towels, wrap around lunchmeats, cooked hot dogs with cheese, scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese, refried beans and cheese, even peanut butter and jelly, OR put a pat of butter in a pan and fry on both sides, melt cheese in the middle and have a quesadilla, serve with salsa and sour cream! I know I've used them in more ways, but I'm tired and can't remember them all right now.

I make little pizzas with corn tortillas for my son in the toaster oven. just put sauce and toppings and toast until the cheese is bubbly. It's quick and he loves them.

[Susan123]

What varieties do you mean? I'm only aware of the plain ol instant grits..

According to the box they have original, butter, cheddar cheese and country bacon. The Butter has wheat for sure. Not sure about gluten though. My office mate offered some to me the day you posted that so that is why I wanted to make sure you knew. I almost ate it. Whew!

[Guest nini]

According to the box they have original, butter, cheddar cheese and country bacon. The Butter has wheat for sure. Not sure about gluten though. My office mate offered some to me the day you posted that so that is why I wanted to make sure you knew. I almost ate it. Whew!

well thanks, but I will stick to plain grits anyway... I'm not big on the pre packaged flavors anyway. I'd rather dr. it up myself!

[teankerbell]

I use Quaker "quick" grits. Cooks in 5 minutes. "My Cousin Vinny" may refer to them as "magic" grits. Anyway they seem to be ok as I have had them numerous times on the diet. My question to nini is how do you prepare the corn tortillas? Do you use them as "wraps"?

Tom

Just an FYI .. I called Quaker Oats and they can not guarantee their products are not cross contaminated with wheat or other allergens. I would stay a way from that and use Red Mills or some other non-mainstream brand.